King X sings through the pain

Jamaica-born dancehall artiste King X, given name Shawn Buchanan, knows about hardships as he was brought up in the tough, inner-city community of Whitfield Town, off Maxfield Avenue in St Andrew.

"You can hear the pain and struggle in my music. I grew up in a dog-eat-dog community, so you had to be comfortable in your own skin to survive," he said.

His first song was done in 2007; however, he has only taken music seriously for the past two years.

"Big up Dweethow Entertainment, they are the ones that discovered that I had a real talent and pushed me to go in the studio, and for that I'm grateful," he said.

His latest release is titled Wonder, and he said that it has been doing well, both in the US and locally.

He added: "Social media has a big impact on my career, because it keeps me relevant in Jamaica while being based in the States. In a couple of years, I see myself as a household name, marking my spot in this culture while touring all over the world."

Now based in the US, he hasn't given up his roots. Meanwhile, this year should be an eventful one for the artiste, as he has a number of shows lined up.